The Premonition

Chapter 3

Thankfully, Ava lightened up when she saw me swinging through the halls with crutches. Still, she refused to fully forgive me for standing her up. She's an only child and completely used to always getting her way, so I didn't think much of her behavior. It's something I've been dealing with since we first started dating a few months ago. I admit that she's a little selfish, but it's nothing too severe in my mind.

Felix managed to hide his earring considerably longer than I'd expected. However, the weekend came and went, and by Monday I could tell that something was wrong. Felix arrived to school looking much more disheveled than normal. His curly black hair was sticking out in every direction, and his eyes looked slightly dazed.

"My dad found out," he mumbled when I asked if he was doing alright. "About the earring, I mean."

"Really?" I exclaimed. "It took him long enough."

"Yeah," agreed Felix. "I'd originally thought that he'd be less angry if he discovered it days after, but I was awfully wrong. He just accused me of being deceitful and rebellious, and my mom clocked me on the head with her slippers."

I laughed and shook my head. "Then I guess you've learned something?"

Felix paused. "Yeah," he finally said. "If you're going to do something that your parents can't know about, don't leave permanent evidence on your body."

I clapped a hand on his shoulder. "No," I sighed. "That too, but I meant that if you would just behave yourself, you wouldn't get into so much trouble."

Felix raised an eyebrow and scoffed at my proposition. "You mean that you want me to live a boring life like you?"

I shrugged. "The safe road isn't necessarily the worst one. Also, my life isn't boring, especially not these days." I gestured to my leg.

"Does it hurt a lot?"

"Yeah," I grumbled. "It's pretty uncomfortable. If it doesn't get better soon, I might have to get surgery."

"Oh, you poor thing," mocked Felix. "Let me carry you to class so that your leg doesn't suddenly fall off from pain." He sighed. "I think we might have to amputate it." His mouth was set grimly, but his eyes glittered with laughter.

"Stop," I grinned, pushing him away. "You're always mocking me!"

Felix shrugged. "Someone's got to do it."

To make it up to Ava, I decided to ask her over to my house. After making me apologize again, she agreed to come. Since it doesn't exactly work to walk home on crutches, my parents designated Mary to drive me home. Not only did it give me a convenient alternative way of getting home that avoided the chaotic school bus, but it also forced Mary to check in at the house when school was over. She was furious with this situation, but I was sure she'd get over it. At 2:45, she sulkily picked up me and Ava and drove us home. I could tell that she was livid. Her lips were puckered like she'd swallowed a lemon, and her dark eyes looked murderous. I would bet that she really might have been contemplating a mysterious disappearance for me. At least then she wouldn't have to drive me.

When we arrived, Violet was outside again. This time, instead of brushing a cat, she was raking the remainder of the leaves which clung to the ground. When she saw me walking on crutches, her jaw immediately dropped and she ran over to us.

"Ethan!" she exclaimed, her gray eyes wide. "What on earth happened to you?" She looked me up and down with concern.

"Football accident," I replied with a tired smile.

"Is it... broken?"

"No, just a torn ligament."

Violet gave me a reproachful stare. "There's nothing 'just' about a torn ligament." She sighed. "You still have a lot of leaves in your yard."